Living with heart failure means paying close attention to the small shifts that others might brush off. A pair of shoes that suddenly feels tight. A short walk from the bedroom to the kitchen that leaves you winded. An extra pillow needed just to breathe comfortably at night. Or a few unexpected pounds on the scale, even though nothing about your diet has changed.1
These signs may be your body’s way of signaling that it’s holding onto excess fluid because your heart is struggling to keep up.1 Heart failure apps can help with that.
Heart failure affects nearly 6.7 million U.S. adults aged 20 and older.1 It is a serious condition, but daily tracking can help people and their care teams spot changes sooner and make decisions before symptoms turn into an emergency.
Today, that daily tracking does not always have to happen in a paper notebook. Mobile apps can help people remember medications, record weight and blood pressure, track swelling or shortness of breath, and share useful information at a medical visit.
In this guide, we will explain how the heart works, what heart failure means, and five heart failure apps that may help make daily care easier to manage.
What Heart Failure Is
Heart failure does not mean the heart has stopped beating.1 It means the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, or it cannot fill with blood normally because it has become too stiff.1 The heart is still working, but it is having a harder time doing its job.1
Heart failure may develop after other conditions have damaged or overworked the heart. Common causes and risk factors include:
- high blood pressure
- coronary artery disease
- a previous heart attack
- diabetes
- obesity
- kidney disease
- irregular heart rhythms
- heart valve problems
- certain cancer treatments
When the heart cannot keep blood moving well, fluid can build up in the body. This can cause swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, or stomach. Fluid can also collect in or around the lungs, making it harder to breathe, especially when lying down or during activity.1
Heart failure is often a long-term condition. With medication, symptom monitoring, lifestyle support, and regular care, many people can manage symptoms and protect their quality of life.1
The Heart Failure Symptoms That Matter At Home
Heart failure symptoms can change slowly or suddenly.3 That is why daily tracking matters.
The American Heart Association recommends that people with heart failure watch for changes such as:
- Sudden weight gain.3
- New or worsening shortness of breath.3
- Trouble breathing when lying flat.3
- Waking up at night feeling short of breath.3
- Swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, fingers, or stomach.3
- Increased fatigue or less ability to complete everyday activities.3
- A dry, hacking cough.3
- A racing or throbbing heartbeat.3
- Poor appetite, dizziness, confusion, or trouble sleeping.3
Weight is especially important because it can change before someone notices obvious swelling or breathing trouble.3 The American Heart Association says that many people first realize their heart failure is worsening after gaining more than 2 to 3 pounds in one day or more than 5 pounds in one week.3 Each person should ask their care team what weight change should trigger a phone call for them.3
A mobile app can make these changes easier to record. Instead of trying to remember how breathing felt last Tuesday or what the scale showed three days ago, a person may be able to show their care team a clear pattern.3
Why Technology Can Help With Heart Failure Care
Heart failure care often asks people to do several things every day: take medications, check
weight, monitor symptoms, pay attention to blood pressure, follow food or fluid guidance from their care team, and know when a symptom is getting worse.4
That is a lot to remember, especially for someone also managing work, caregiving, transportation, several medications, or more than one chronic condition.4
Mobile apps can help by turning daily care into a routine. Depending on the app, a person may be able to:
- Get medication reminders.
- Log morning weight.
- Record blood pressure or heart rate.
- Track shortness of breath, swelling, fatigue, or sleep changes.
- Create a report to share at a medical visit.
- Allow a caregiver to help monitor trends.
- Connect readings from certain home devices or wearable technology.
AHA recommends that people arrive at appointments with an up-to-date medication list and a log of daily weights and blood pressure. An app can be one way to organize that information in one place.4
Still, not all apps do the same thing. Some focus on medications. Some are built for heart failure. Others focus on blood pressure, weight, or symptom tracking. The five apps below were selected because they are currently available to U.S. users and include features that may support heart failure self-care.4
Top 5 Heart Failure Apps For Managing Heart Failure Symptoms
1. Heart Failure Manager By Point Of Care
Best For: People who want an app designed specifically around heart failure.
Heart Failure Manager is a free app listed in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad. Unlike general health trackers, it is built for people living with heart failure. The app allows users to track symptoms in a daily journal, manage medications and treatment reminders, view trends in charts, and review educational information about heart failure.
For people using Apple devices, the app can connect with the Apple Health app to bring in heart rate data from an Apple Watch or other connected device. It also includes the option to share information with a care team.
This may be helpful for someone who wants one app focused on heart failure rather than building their own tracking plan from several tools.
Pros:
- Designed specifically for heart failure.
- Free to download in the Apple App Store.
- Includes symptom journaling and medication reminders.
- Can display trends over time in charts.
- Can connect with Apple Health and certain heart rate data.
- Includes patient education about heart failure.
Cons:
- The verified U.S. listing is for Apple devices; an Android version was not identified during review.
- Care team sharing may depend on whether the clinician uses the related platform.
- Users should review privacy settings before entering health information, since the app listing notes that some health and identifying data may be linked to the user.
- It should not be relied on to decide whether a symptom is an emergency.
How Someone Might Use It:
A person could log morning weight, fatigue, swelling, and breathing changes each day while using reminders for heart failure medications. At an appointment, they could show patterns such as worsening breathlessness or increased symptoms during the same week their weight rose.
2. MedM Health Diary
Best For: People who want to track several vital signs or connect home monitoring devices.
MedM Health Diary is available for iPhone and Android devices. It is not made only for heart
failure, but it allows users to log information that can matter in heart failure care, including body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, medication intake, activity, sleep, and notes.
Users can enter information by hand or connect compatible home monitoring devices. The basic app functions are free, and people can use the app without creating an account if they want their records stored only on their device. Advanced options, such as caregiver sharing, remote monitoring, threshold alerts, and detailed PDF or spreadsheet reports, require premium access or registration.
This may be especially useful for someone who already checks weight and blood pressure at home or who is managing heart failure along with conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease.
Pros:
- Available on both iPhone and Android.
- Tracks weight, blood pressure, heart rate, medications, and other health measures in one place.
- Supports manual entry and many Bluetooth-connected monitoring devices.
- Basic use is free.
- Can be used without registration for people who prefer offline storage.
- Can help caregivers track readings when premium sharing features are used.
Cons:
- It is not designed only for heart failure, so users need to know which symptoms and readings matter for their own care plan.
- Sharing, threshold notifications, and some reporting tools require paid premium access.
- The number of tracking options may feel overwhelming for someone who wants a very simple app.
- Oxygen readings, blood pressure, or device data should not replace an evaluation when symptoms are worsening.
How Someone Might Use It:
A person could record morning weight and blood pressure each day, set a medication reminder, and add a note such as “ankles more swollen today” or “needed two extra pillows last night.” Over time, that log may help the care team see whether symptoms are changing.
3. MyTherapy Medication Reminder And Health Tracker
Best For: People who need help staying on top of medications and daily routines.
Heart failure treatment often includes more than one medication. Some medicines reduce extra fluid. Others help the heart pump more efficiently or lower strain on the heart. Remembering every dose can become difficult, especially when prescriptions are taken at different times of day.
MyTherapy is a free app available on Apple and Android devices that focuses on medication reminders and daily treatment routines. It can remind users about medications, measurements, doctor appointments, and symptom checks. It also records whether a dose was taken or skipped and includes refill reminders.
This app may be a helpful choice for someone whose biggest challenge is medication consistency rather than advanced symptom monitoring.
Pros:
- Free to download and use.
- Available for iPhone and Android.
- Designed around medication reminders and refill support.
- Can remind users to complete measurements or symptom checks.
- Records whether medications were taken or skipped.
- May be simpler to use than an app with many health tracking features.
Cons:
- It is not made specifically for heart failure.
- It may not provide the same detailed heart failure symptom tracking as a heart failure-focused app.
- People still need a clear plan from their care team about which symptoms should trigger a phone call.
- Medication reminders help with organization, but they do not replace follow-up care or medication review.
How Someone Might Use It:
A person taking several heart failure medications could use MyTherapy to set dose reminders, refill alerts, and a daily prompt to record their morning weight. This may be especially helpful for someone who sometimes forgets doses or runs out of medication before a refill is ready.
4. CareClinic Symptom And Medication Tracker
Best For: People who want to track how symptoms, medications, and daily habits may connect.
CareClinic is available on iPhone and Android devices. It is a broad symptom and health tracking app rather than a heart failure-specific app. It allows users to record medications, symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate, weight, sleep, fluids, activity, appointments, and notes. Reports can be shared with a healthcare professional.
This may be useful for someone who wants to track symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath, sleep problems, and blood pressure in the same place as medications and daily routines. The app is free to download, but some advanced features and more complex tracking plans require paid access.
Pros:
- Available for iPhone and Android.
- Tracks symptoms, medications, weight, heart rate, and blood pressure.
- Includes reminders and reports that may be useful for medical visits.
- May help users notice whether symptoms are changing over time.
- Can be helpful for people managing heart failure along with other health concerns.
Cons:
- It is not a heart failure-specific app.
- The amount of information available may feel like too much for someone who only needs daily weight and symptom tracking.
- It uses a freemium model, meaning some more advanced or expanded features may require payment.
- Tracking patterns does not prove that one habit or medication caused a symptom change.
How Someone Might Use It:
A person could record fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath, weight, blood pressure, and medication use throughout the week. If symptoms rise together, they could bring the record to their heart failure appointment rather than trying to remember every change.
5. SmartBP Blood Pressure Tracker
Best For: People who need a simple way to track blood pressure, heart rate, and weight trends.
Blood pressure matters in heart failure because high blood pressure can make the heart work harder. Many people with heart failure also need to keep close track of their blood pressure while taking medications.
SmartBP is a free blood pressure tracking app available on Apple and Android devices. It allows users to record, review, and share blood pressure trends. Its Apple App Store listing also describes tracking for heart rate, weight, medications, and ECG information, while its Android listing includes blood pressure reports that can be shared with healthcare professionals. The app can connect with certain health platforms or compatible monitoring devices depending on the device being used.
SmartBP may be most helpful for someone who wants to focus on blood pressure and weight without managing a long list of symptom categories.
Pros:
- Free basic blood pressure tracking.
- Available for iPhone and Android.
- May be easier to use for people who mainly need blood pressure and weight logs.
- Creates charts and reports that can be shared with a care team.
- Can support tracking of trends over time.
Cons:
- It is not designed specifically for heart failure.
- Blood pressure tracking alone may miss important heart failure changes such as worsening swelling, breathlessness, cough, or difficulty sleeping flat.
- Feature availability may differ between Apple and Android versions.
- A blood pressure app cannot tell a person whether to change medication or seek emergency care.
How Someone Might Use It:
A person whose care team has asked them to track blood pressure and morning weight could use SmartBP to record readings and bring a trend report to appointments. They would still need another simple method, such as notes or a symptom tracker, to record swelling or breathing changes.
The Top 5 Heart Failure Apps: Features Comparison
|
Heart Failure App
|
Best Use Case
|
Supported Platforms
|
Key Connectivity & Pricing
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Heart Failure Manager (by Point of Care) |
Dedicated heart failure symptom logs |
iOS Only (iPhone & iPad) |
Free; syncs directly with Apple Health |
|
MedM Health Diary |
Connecting external medical devices |
iOS and Android |
Freemium; pairs with Bluetooth vitals monitors |
|
MyTherapy |
Complex medication schedules |
iOS and Android |
Free; specialized refill and dose reminders |
|
CareClinic Tracker |
Analyzing habit-to-symptom patterns |
iOS and Android |
Freemium; comprehensive multi-chronic log |
|
SmartBP |
Focused blood pressure and weight trends |
iOS and Android |
Free basic version; generates visual trend charts |
When Heart Failure Apps Are Not Enough
A mobile app can help keep track of symptoms. It cannot treat worsening heart failure or replace urgent care.
Contact your heart failure care team promptly if you have a sudden weight gain that reaches the limit they gave you, worsening swelling, increasing fatigue, more trouble breathing during activity, difficulty lying flat, a worsening cough, or symptoms that are changing from your usual pattern.
Call 911 right away for severe shortness of breath at rest, chest pain, fainting, new confusion, blue lips or fingers, or symptoms that feel like an emergency.
Do not wait for an app to send an alert if your body is telling you something is seriously wrong.
Hear About Heart Failure Apps From The NOWINCLUDED Community
Heart failure can make everyday life feel uncertain because symptoms may shift quietly before they become serious. A mobile app will not replace a clinician, medication, or emergency care. But it may help make the day-to-day picture clearer.
Inside the NOWINCLUDED app, you can find trusted, culturally aware health education that helps connect symptoms to practical next steps.
Use this guide to choose a tracking tool that fits your life, talk with your care team about what symptoms matter most for you, and build a daily routine that supports your heart without making care feel harder than it already is.
References
- CDC. (2024, May 15). About Heart Failure. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/heart-failure.html
- NIH. (2022, March 24). How the Heart Works. Retrieved from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart
- AHA. (2025, May 20). What is Heart Failure? Retrieved from American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure
- AHA. (2025, April 7). Equitable access to digital technologies may help improve cardiovascular health. Retrieved from American Heart Association: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/equitable-access-to-digital-technologies-may-help-improve-cardiovascular-health
